Library Staff News
a. Joan Starr Joins CDL as Project Planning Manager
Joan Starr will be joining CDL as the Manager for Project Planning and Resource Allocation on April 7. Reporting to Deputy University Librarian Laine Farley, Joan will work with the CDL’s Resource Planning Group and project managers to more effectively document and manage projects and resources across the organization.
Joan comes to CDL from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco where she was a Senior Project Consultant in the Information Technology Services Department. As a result of her success in managing project teams across locations, developing application systems, and providing operational support, she was asked to participate in the formation of the Project Management Office at the Bank. In that role, she participated in the evaluation of software for project management, and led the implementation process for the selected tool. She has also worked with project managers to capture project documentation and enable measures of progress, effectiveness and resource utilization.
Joan was an information architecture intern at CDL when she was pursuing her MLIS at San Jose State. She has also published several articles on metadata.
Her extensive project planning and management experience, technical and design skills, interest in digital libraries, and great sense of humor add up to a great fit for CDL as we delve more deeply into harnessing our projects and resources.
b. New Units in Digital Library Services
Two new units have been formed in Digital Library Services, reporting to Laine Farley.
Service Design: Led by Roy Tennant; includes Heather Christenson.
This unit develops user services architecture, prototypes, and functional specifications. Roy and Heather will work closely with project managers, web design and Information Services (below) as needed. Heather will continue to manage the Resource Liaisons program although some activities are being assessed and redefined.
Information Services: Led by Ellen Meltzer; includes Sherry Willhite and Jayne Dickson. We will be recruiting another analyst to staff the helpdesk, perform triage and answer feedbacks.
This unit encompasses user services, education and outreach, analysis and specifications, help, and guidance provided through the processes of feedback, triage, escalation, and testing for all products. Members may also provide analysis and specifications for projects in conjunction with the Web Design and Service Design groups. One of their main tasks will be to develop these areas for new and emerging services, modeled on what is in place for bibliographic services and licensed content.
Other units in Digital Library Services include:
- Assessment (Felicia Poe, Jane Lee)
- Web Design (Steve Toub, Eric Satzman, Pamela Daniels, Robin Davis-White, Lena Zentall and a new web design manager to be hired). Lena will also continue as service manager for the UC Image Service.
Digital Library Services also includes product managers for: - Bibliographic Services (Melvyl Catalog, UC-eLinks, Request, Verde): Patti Martin
- Public Content Services (Calisphere, Counting California): Rosalie Lack
- and a new area that doesn’t yet have a name but will focus at a minimum on access tools and services (“skin and slice” or user interface customization, common user interface, search and browse, metasearch, etc): Steve Toub. Although our matrixed organization means that almost everyone still works across a range of projects, sometimes in different roles, this reorganization provide focus and identifies a manager for some of our common activities.